A New Chapter for Yung See San Fong
When I first became the owner of Yung See San Fong, I understood that I wasn’t really buying a property. I was accepting a responsibility. The name translates to Young’s Home in the Heart of the Hills, and the house has always been more than walls and a roof. Built in 1917 by the playwright Ruth Comfort Mitchell Young and her husband Sanborn Young, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this home in the Los Gatos hills carries a vision that blended East and West in a way that was decades ahead of its time. Ruth called it her bungahigh rather than a bungalow, with its pagoda roofs, hand carved panels, and a winding driveway designed in the Chinese tradition to ward off evil spirits. Everything I’ve done here has been in service of honoring that vision.
That’s why this next announcement is not one I make lightly.
A Move, and a Decision
Life is taking me out of state for the next ten years. For a property like this one, I know I simply cannot run it from out of state. I need to give up control, but I was unwilling to accept abandoning my vision of making the place a special one. A house with this kind of history deserves daily attention, steady hands, and people who care about it standing on its grounds, not an owner checking in from a thousand miles away.
So the practical decision was straightforward. The everyday operation of the property will be handled by a professional property manager. Maintenance calls, upkeep, the ordinary rhythm of keeping a property running will all be in capable professional hands.
But if I’m being honest, the harder question was never about daily management. It was this question. Who will care about the future of this place? Who will think about what it should become, not just what it needs this week?
I knew I needed help. And I knew exactly who I hoped would give it.
John and Donna
We got to know John and Donna through our church, and like most of the best friendships, it grew naturally through conversations after services, shared meals, and the slow discovery of who people really are.
What we discovered about John was remarkable. He is, simply put, a craftsman who can do virtually anything around a house. Professionally, he spent years in HVAC, supervised buildings and maintenance operations, and on top of all that, he does metal work. He has the kind of skill where you describe a problem and he’s already sketching the solution in his head. Really amazing stuff, the sort of practical mastery that’s getting rarer every year. In his activities, he creates amazing metal sculptures. Truly somebody who blends mechanical know-how and artistry.
And Donna is every bit his match in her own way. She served in a variety of administrative positions throughout her career, and she brings that same organized, capable mind to everything she touches. But it goes beyond that. If you’ve ever been to their home, you know. Everything is perfect, decorated with an amazingly clean style, warm and welcoming, not a detail out of place. She has an eye for how a space should feel, and that is precisely the kind of eye this property needs.
An Unexpected Ask
John and Donna weren’t looking for additional work. They’ve earned their seasons of rest, and they weren’t out searching for a project.
But we asked them anyway. We didn’t offer them a job. We asked them to help us preserve a very special place. And to our lasting gratitude, they said yes.
What Comes Next
So here is how the future of Yung See San Fong will work. The property manager will handle the day to day running of the property. John and Donna will do something more important. They will help architect its future.
Together, we are developing a roadmap for restoring the property to some of the original glory the Youngs envisioned when they first built here, a home so special it once welcomed guests like President Herbert Hoover. John brings the craftsman’s understanding of what the buildings and systems need to endure. Donna brings the vision of what the spaces should become. And both of them bring something no contract can provide. They actually care about this place.
They will continue to serve as important members of the property, and I can’t imagine two better people to trust with its next chapter.
I may be far away for the next decade, but Yung See San Fong will not be neglected, and it will not be forgotten. It will be loved, planned for, and slowly restored by people who understand exactly what makes it worth preserving.
That, more than anything, is what lets me leave with peace.